This was another book I read for the R.eaders I.mbibing P.eril event. The Ghost of Opalina is a children's fantasy, made up of a series of linked stories that Opalina, the ghost cat, tells to the children of the house that she has lived in for all of her nine lives. None of these stories are scary, and Opalina never behaves maliciously. She does protect those she cares about.
The book begins with a family, Mr. and Mrs. Finley and their three children, moving to a house in the country with lots of land, gardens, barns and such. They arrive in the summer, and the children have all their days free to explore. Their parents have set up a play room for them in a section of the house that has no electricity. One evening they stay in the room until after dusk, and when it gets dark in the room they see a glowing form in an old stuffed chair in the room. This is Opalina, a beautiful white cat, who announces to them that she is a ghost and can only be seen at night. They beg her to tell them about the various families that have lived in the house since she was there.
The unique aspect of this children's book is that the stories give the reader a picture of the house and the way people lived over two centuries, from 1750 up to 1966, the year the Finley family moved in. The first story is First Life, 1750: "The Mice, the Mouser and the Mean Young Man." The last story is Ninth Life, 1966: "Trick or Treat." The book was published in 1967. Most of the stories are from 20 to 40 pages in length.
This was a fun and entertaining read, although certainly aimed at children. I see it as a perfect book for reading aloud to children of any age. I was particularly drawn to the book because it is illustrated by the author. And a book featuring a cat is always of interest.
Many reviewers at Goodreads mention that they loved this book as a child and were thrilled to find an affordable copy. For many years this book was only available for high prices online.
I first heard of this book at Staircase Wit. Constance's post also has more information about the author and illustrator, Peggy Bacon.
12 comments:
How brilliant does this sound, I would've loved it as a child. I was 14 when it was published but do not remember seeing it anywhere and at that age I'd just got into science fiction anyway.
This does sound like an excellent story to share with children, Tracy. And even though it's not aimed at adults, I can certainly see the appeal of it. Interesting, too, that the author is also the illustrator. I don't think that happens very often, does it?
Great choice for the Halloween season!
Cath, I did enjoy reading this book and it is one of the few books of short stories I have completely finished. For some reason that is a chore for me (I like to start new ones), but this one was no problem.
Very interesting point about when it came out. At that time I was 19 and would not have noticed the book at all. By the time I had my son, and we were reading to him (which we did for years), it may not have been generally available although we probably could have gotten at the library had I known about it. So, not a surprise that I was not aware of it.
Margot, it is unusual that an author illustrates their own book. She was actually quite well known for her illustrations, illustrated other children's books, and even wrote a mystery, which Constance mentioned in her review. Someday I would like to do a post about her.
Thanks, George, I was happy to learn about this book back in September. It was perfect for me, since I don't go for horror or even scary books.
Did they make this story into a movie once? It sounds so familiar, and I can't figure out why because I haven't read it.
Lark, I don't know about that. It could make a good movie though. I did look around on IMDB but did not find anything.
As I am super allergic to cats I have no affinity with them. I am sure I missed a great experience.
I can understand that, Patti. I have no animal allergies but have suffered from allergies to pollen, dust, etc. since my teens so I know how allergies can make you feel.
We have had two dogs and two cats in our 40 plus years of marriage, and loved them all, but we get along better with cats.
I am so glad you enjoyed this. I just reread Hitty, a wonderful book which is somewhat similar in that it consists of stories told by one central character. However, Hitty is a doll who travels from place to place involuntarily, in contrast to Opalina who is part of a house, although only sensitive children can see her.
I did enjoy it, Constance. Opalina was fun, kind of cranky at times.
I think I have heard of Hitty. I will have to look into it more, sounds like I would enjoy it.
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